The invention relates to an improved design for a unitary engine block and an improved design for an intake and exhaust lifter system for this style engine block for internal combustion engines.
Internal combustion engines are usually either two stroke or four stroke engines which usually run on the combustion of gasoline or diesel fuel. In the past, internal combustion engines have comprised engine blocks and cylinder heads as two separate components.
In addition, these type combustion engines have shown exhaust systems having tie rods connecting cam shafts to intake and exhaust pistons.
Internal combustion engines are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,493 to Ickes and U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,955 to Scuba. The present invention differs from the above referenced art in that the present invention presents an engine block that incorporates both the block and the cylinder head construction in a single casting to form a unitary engine block construction which only has a cover to cover the cylinders.
One object of the invention is to provide a unitary engine block that does not contain a separate cylinder head.
Another object of the invention is to provide an internal combustion engine that is free of connecting rods or push rods.
Another object of the invention is to provide an internal combustion engine that is free of rocker arms.
Another object of the invention is to provide an internal combustion engine that does not contain any cylinder heads or gaskets or bolts.
Another object of the invention is to provide an internal combustion engine that contains intake and exhaust lifters.
Another object of the invention is to provide an internal combustion engine that is less expensive to manufacture due because of its simpler design.
To achieve these objects, invention relates to an internal combustion engine having an engine block that is cast as a single unitary engine block that removes the need for a cylinder head to be mounted on the engine block. Instead, this new internal combustion engine includes at least one, but preferably at least three cylinders which comprise a power cylinder an intake cylinder and an exhaust cylinder. These cast cylinders extend up to a cover to cover the unitary engine block. In addition, there is a novel intake and exhaust lifter system for each of the cylinders in the engine block. The intake cylinder has an intake port, and the exhaust cylinder has an exhaust port for allowing exhaust to flow there through. Inside each power cylinder is a power piston which is driven by a crank shaft which extends through the cylinder. This crank shaft is driven by a movement of the power piston which is caused by the combustion of gasses inside each of the cylinders. There is also a cam shaft which is disposed within the engine block. This cam shaft is spaced apart from the crank shaft and extends through the cylinder. Coupled to the cam shaft is a timing chain which is also coupled to the crank shaft. Thus, as the crank shaft rotates, it drives the timing chain which in turn rotates the cam shaft.
To control the flow of exhaust gasses and the intake of air mixture, there is an intake lifter disposed in the intake cylinder adjacent to the intake cylinder intake port. To release these gasses from each of the cylinders, there is also an exhaust lifter disposed in the exhaust cylinder adjacent to the exhaust port. To drive the intake lifter and the exhaust lifter, there is a cam disc which can be approximately kidney shaped and coupled to the cam shaft wherein this cam disc is for driving the intake lifter and the exhaust lifter intermittently and through intermittent contact so that exhaust can flow through the intake cylinder and the exhaust cylinder from the intake port and out of the exhaust port. The intake and exhaust lifters are essentially a plurality of components including a cylinder piston and a shaft.